Those with a head for heights, who can manage the 164 internal steps to the top, will be afforded fantastic views of Newcastle – and beyond - on the days the Monument opens to the public.

Our main image, from 1956, shows a compelling long-gone view from High Friar Street, which was demolished to make way for Eldon Square shopping centre in the 1970s.

The replacement head for Grey's Monument, Newcastle, destroyed by a lightning strike in 1941 is carved by a craftsman in November, 1947

Grey’s Monument was erected in 1838 in honour of former Prime Minster Earl Charles Grey who passed the Great Reform Act of 1832, a move which would lead to wide-ranging changes to the nation’s unfair electoral system.

And, if you’re partial to a cup of Earl Grey tea, the brand is named after him.